balwick



Patented Mar. 7, I899.

L. H. BALWICK.

FORM FOR DISPLAYING GOODS.

(Application filed. Feb. 24, 1898.)

(No Model.)

lm M012 1 By I Q afizorneys.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS H. BALWIOK, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO PETER A. JOYCE AND FRANK J. PEDDIE, OF

SAME PLACE.

FORM FOR DISPLAYING GOODS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 620,632, dated March 7, 1899.

Application filed February 24, 1898- ri 671,4l4- (N0 m L To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS H. BALWICK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne, State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Forms for the Display of Goods; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to forms for the display of goods; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully set forth, and pointed out particularly in the claims.

The object of the invention is to provide simple, inexpensive, and efficient means for building shapes and forms upon which goods may be displayed, the arrangement being such as to enable a variety of shapes to be produced by means of a series of detachablyunited parts which maybe readilyassociated in the formation of any requisite design or figure. This object is attained by means of the associated elements illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing by solid lines two sides of a square column formed by the union of two of my displayboards, the complementary portion of the column being indicated by stipple lines. Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section through one of my improved display-boards. Fig. 3 is a perspective View showing a section of stairs formed by the union of a number of said boards. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a spring-holder adapted to be mounted upon the display-boards and through the retaining-loop of which dress goods and other fabrics may be drawn to display them in any desired shape.

Referring to the letters of reference, A designates a display-board formed, preferably, of light wood quadrangular in form and of greater length than width. Crossing the opposite ends of said board are two opposed metallic strips 1), which are firmly secured by means of the rivets a passing through said board and strips. Formed in the opposite faces of said board at each end and extending under said strips 1) are the concavities c, which stand opposite to each other in pairs, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Mounted upon the face of said board and having their free ends projecting intosaid concavities are the spring-hooks d. In the opposite faces of the sides of said board are formed in like manner a series of opposed concavities e, which are arranged opposite each other in pairs and are crossed by a series of confinin g-plates f, which are secured by means of the transverse rivets 'i to the opposite faces of said board. These confining-plates f, like the metal strips b at the ends, serve to confine the leaf of a hinge B within said concavities, said hingeleaf being retained therein by engagement of the spring-hooks d, which project into said concavities e and c and enter the aperture g in the leaf of said hinge, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, said springs holding the hinges in their respective concavities until their hooked ends are raised from the apertures in the leaves of said hinges, when said hinges may be withdrawn.

On referring to the drawings it will be seen that a number of the display-boards A are employed, which may be jointedly united at their edges by means of the hinges B, as shown, enabling innumerable formations to be made by the association of said boards, so that goods may be displayed in any desired form. The manner of detachably uniting said boards through the medium of said hinges and springhooks, which engage said hinges, enables any desired change in the formation of the display-boards to be quickly and easily made, and because of the shape of said boards they may be stacked together, so as'to occupy but little space when not in use.

0 designates a detachable spring-loop having the curved spring end portions h, which are adapted to be forced into the concavities c and ein said boards to retain said loop in place, so as to serve as a holder through which goods may be drawn and arranged to display apuff or other desirable design. By the union of these display-boards through the couplinghinges B set figures, such as stair-ways, 650., may be produced, as shown in Fig. 3, upon which the goods may be placed or draped in imitation of a stairway or in producing other effects. g

The formation of the recesses or concavities of the display-board which receive the leaves of the hinges is such that the hinge-leaves may be readily inserted therein, in which operation the rounded hooked end of the springs 61 ride over the ends of the leaves and engage in the apertures g therein.

Extending longitudinally of the opposed faces of the display-boards are the channels is, which are crossed near their longitudinal center by the confining-plates m, which serve to retain the leaf of the spring within said channels, enabling one of the display-boards to be supported at right angles to the other, so as to proj ect laterally from the face thereof.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A form for displaying goods comprising a plurality of members, each member being provided with a plurality of corresponding independent retaining-sockets in its opposed faces, hinges carried by a portion of said members the leaves of which are adapted to enter the corresponding sockets in other of said members to-maintain said members jointedly united.

2. A form for displaying goods comprising a plurality of members, each member having concavities in its edges,confining-plates crossing said concavities, spring-catches entering said concavities, and a series of hinges the leaves of which are adapted to enter the concavities in said members and to be engaged by said springs, whereby said members are jointedly united.

3. A form for displaying goods comprising a plurality of rectangular members having a series of sockets in their opposed faces, retaining-strips crossing said sockets, a plurality of hinges the leaves on one side of which being adapted to be confined in the sockets of one of said members by said retainingstrips, the projecting leaves of said hinges being adapted to enter corresponding sockets in other of said members and be confined therein by a retaining-strip whereby said members are jointedly united.

4. A form for displaying goods, comprising a plurality of members, each member being provided with a plurality of independent retaining-sockets in its opposed faces, hinges having leaves adapted to enter the sockets in said members and means for automatically locking the leaves of said hinges in said sockets when inserted therein.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS H. BALWICK. Witnesses:

MINA STUART, E. S. WHEELER. 

